St Erme with Trispen Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Erme with Trispen Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They feel safe and well cared for. Staff know the pupils and families well.

In the early years, children settle quickly into well-established routines.

The school has clear systems for behaviour. It has ensured that pupils and staff understand these systems.

For example, pupils talk with excitement about receiving behaviour points. Pupils know what happens if they display poor behaviour. They say that bullying is rare, but adults resolve it effectively should it occur.

The school has raised its expectation...s of what pupils should learn. Pupils have risen to these. In lessons, they listen well and participate in discussions enthusiastically, eager to share their ideas.

Children in Reception recall their previous learning well during their reading sessions.

Pupils have a voice in the school through roles such as the school council and prefects. Older pupils help to support younger pupils at lunchtimes.

This helps them to become caring and compassionate individuals.

Parents and carers speak positively about the school. They recognise the many positive recent changes, such as to the curriculum.

Many praise the 'family feel' of the school.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Following a difficult period during the pandemic, the school has improved in recent times. New leadership identified issues in safeguarding and behaviour and ensured that these were rectified swiftly.

They have done this while coping with a number of staffing changes.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs well met.

Staff in the early years quickly identify children who require additional support. They make adaptations to their provision as necessary.

The school has revised its curriculum.

While some of these changes are recent, the impact on pupils' learning can already be seen. In particular, the school has worked to ensure that content is sequenced logically. The school has helped teachers to implement the curriculum effectively through agreed approaches in subjects such as mathematics.

As a result, pupils learn well. For example, in history, pupils recall in depth about the Great Fire of London. In mathematics, they talk knowledgably about how content they have learned in the past informs current learning.

However, in some subjects, systems for checking what pupils have learned are not well developed. Therefore, the school is not clear on where gaps in pupils' knowledge exist.

Leaders have revised the curriculum for pupils at the early stages of reading.

They retrained staff so that they are clear on how best to teach reading. This has yielded impressive results. Pupils learn to read quicker than in the past.

They read books matched to the sounds they know. This means that pupils, including those who have fallen behind, can practise and apply what they have learned in class. This helps them to become confident, fluent readers.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to reading. They say it 'sparks your imagination'. They enjoy sessions where teachers read to them.

Pupils also read a rich range of books and authors independently. Nevertheless, the reading curriculum for older pupils is not well planned. It does not clearly define what pupils will learn.

This means pupils do not build on their reading skills coherently.

The school has carefully considered the personal development offer for pupils so that it is clear about what pupils will learn and when. Pupils know how to stay safe on the internet.

For example, they know the importance of not sharing personal details. They learn about different faiths and cultures. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils pursue their talents and interests through a range of clubs, such as dance, football, sewing and craft. They build their confidence and self-esteem through residentials. Trips to local castles and museums help pupils to further understand curriculum content.

The school works closely with families on attendance. It takes robust action when, despite support, pupils' attendance does not improve. As a result, pupils attend better than their peers nationally.

However, leaders rightly feel there is still more work needed to strengthen this further.

Governors support and challenge the school effectively. They identify the expertise needed on the governing body and recruit governors accordingly.

Governors make regular checks on aspects of the school's work. In addition, they draw on external support when needed. Consequently, they have an accurate view of the school's performance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The key stage 2 reading curriculum is not planned in sufficient detail. The school has not considered well enough what pupils need to know by the end of each year.

As a result, some older pupils do not develop their reading skills quickly. The school needs to ensure that the content of the key stage 2 reading curriculum is well thought out so that pupils learn to read well. ? The school's use of assessment is at an early stage in some subjects.

This means that gaps in pupils' learning are not always identified. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively in all subjects to identify how well pupils learn, adjusting future learning accordingly.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2015.